Process for making catalyzers.



pinup TATEh PATET UWWTMM.

WILLIAM D. RICHARDSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SWIFT & COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PROCESS FOR MAKING CATALYZERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Well. 2%, ll llho No Drawing. Original application filed November 11, 1912, Serial No. 730,746. Divided and this application filed May 6,v 1915.

To all who? it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM D. RICHARD- SON, a citizen of the United States of Amen, ica, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of lllinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Making Catalyzers, of which the following is a specification.

This application is a division of my copcnding application Serial No. 7 30,746, filed November 11, 1912.

The object of this invention is to provide v an improved method of hydrogenating oils or fats to harden or solidify them.

This object is accomplished by the following described process:

I first put in a suitable container a quantity of liquid or semi-liquid material, which may be water, and then submerge two metallic pieces in this material and connect them with a suitable device for supplying an electric current through said pieces. These pieces serve as electrodes, being suitably spaced apart and provided with sulficient current to produce an electric .arc across the gap between them, and to cause part of the metal of said electrodes to disintegrate and to be difl'used in finely divided form in said material. The material of electrodes suitable for this purpose may be nickel, copper, platinum, palladium, iron, or their alloys, or other metals or alloys. These electrodes may be conveniently used in the form of rods, and the electric current may be supplied by a-hand feed or an automatic arc lamp mechanism in which the rods are clamped. The rods may be entirely or partly submerged in the material before mentioned. The electric current is operated preferably at a voltage of from 40 to 150, and is preferably 'a direct current.

The are is allowed to continue until the desired amount of disintegrated or finely divided metal has been produced by its eroding action. The finely divided metal is then Serial No. 26,305.

the unsaturated compound, such as the fatty oil or fat to be hydrogenated, and is mixed pressure and with a temperature of about 160 degrees C., the process of hardening or solidifying may be completed in from one to eight hours, depending upon the percentage of the finely divided metal used, the kind of fat or oil being hardened, the rapidity of agitation, etc., and upon the degree of hardness desired. After the hydrogenation of the oil or fat has been accomplished, the finely divided metal may be removed from the mass as by settling, straining, or filtermg.

I claim:

1. The process of producing catalytic material adapted for use in the hardening of fatty oils which comprises forming an are between electrodes comprising nickel material and-in the presence of a liquid medium, and in collectin the finely divided nickelcontaining precipitate resulting from the eroding action of such are.

2.. The process of producing catalytic material adapted for use in hardening fatty oils which comprises passing an electric current of arc-forming strength between electrodes comprising nickel material and in the presence of a liquid medium and in collecting the finely divided nickel-containing precipitate resulting from the eroding action of said electric current.

3. The process of producing catalytic material adapted for use in the hardenin of fatty oils which comprises subjecting a t ick mass of nickel as an electrode to the action of an electric arc and in the presence of a liquid medium; whereby nickel of a substantially-colloidal form is obtained, and incollecting the precipitate resulting from the eroding action of such are.

4. The process of producing catalytic ma- *teriailwhich comprises forming an are be- 8 liquid medium and in collecting the finely tween nickel electrodes inthe presence of divided nickel containing material resulting 10 water andin colleotingthe finely divided from the eroding action ofsuch arc, in exnickel containing precipitate resulting from pelling the liqu1d medium therefrom and 5 the eroding-action of such are. 4 mixing the nickel material with oil.-

5. The process of producing catalytic ma- Signed at Chicago this 20th day of April,

terial which comprises forming anarc be- 1915.

tween nickel electrodes in the presence of a WILLIAM D. RICHARDSON. 

